سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ
Surah Ghafir (40) — Ayah 5
كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَٱلْأَحْزَابُ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ ۖ وَهَمَّتْ كُلُّ أُمَّةٍۭ بِرَسُولِهِمْ لِيَأْخُذُوهُ ۖ وَجَـٰدَلُوا۟ بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُوا۟ بِهِ ٱلْحَقَّ فَأَخَذْتُهُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ ﴿5﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The people of Nûh (Noah) and the Confederates after them denied (their Messengers) before these; and every (disbelieving) nation plotted against their Messenger to seize him, and disputed by means of falsehood to refute therewith the truth. So I seized them (with punishment), and how (terrible) was My punishment!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
كَذَّبَتْ
kadhabat
Denied
قَبْلَهُمْ
qablahum
before them
قَوْمُ
qawmu
(the) people
نُوحٍۢ
nūḥin
(of) Nuh
وَٱلْأَحْزَابُ
wal-aḥzābu
and the factions
مِنۢ
min
after them
بَعْدِهِمْ ۖ
baʿdihim
after them
وَهَمَّتْ
wahammat
and plotted
كُلُّ
kullu
every
أُمَّةٍۭ
ummatin
nation
بِرَسُولِهِمْ
birasūlihim
against their Messenger
لِيَأْخُذُوهُ ۖ
liyakhudhūhu
to seize him
وَجَـٰدَلُوا۟
wajādalū
and they disputed
بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ
bil-bāṭili
by falsehood
لِيُدْحِضُوا۟
liyud'ḥiḍū
to refute
بِهِ
bihi
thereby
ٱلْحَقَّ
l-ḥaqa
the truth
فَأَخَذْتُهُمْ ۖ
fa-akhadhtuhum
So I seized them
فَكَيْفَ
fakayfa
Then how
كَانَ
kāna
was
عِقَابِ
ʿiqābi
My penalty
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
5. Before them, the people of Noah and the (opposed to the messengers) groups [3] after them denied (their messengers). Every nation intended to seize their messenger and disputed by means of falsehood to refute the truth with it. But I seized them, so see how My punishment was.
[3]
The Meaning of ﴿حزب﴾:
﴿احزاب﴾ is the plural of ﴿حزب﴾, and by it are meant such groups, factions, or parties in which there is harshness and severity. They are like-minded among themselves and their objective is to gain influence in power or to cling to it. It also refers to those previous nations upon whom Allah’s punishment descended because they denied the message of the messengers.
[4]
The Fate of the Nations Opposing the Prophets in the Light of Historical Evidence:
These disbelievers of Makkah cannot escape Allah’s grasp because many nations like them have passed before. For example, the people of Nuh, and after them the people of ‘Ad, the people of Thamud, the people of Ibrahim, the people of Lut, and the people of Pharaoh, etc. All these people used to worship idols instead of Allah and were deniers of the Day of Resurrection. Then, when Our messengers came to them, they did not suffice with merely denying them, but became intent on harming them. They began to threaten them with murder and stoning, and started plotting against them. In short, they used every tactic by which they could bring down Allah’s religion and crush the call of the prophets and their followers (and these very same activities were being carried out by the disbelievers of Makkah). Then, when My punishment descended upon them, see what became of them. Is there any trace or sign of those nations? Do they appear to be roaming about anywhere today? And these polytheists of Makkah have also started treading the same path, so how can they escape My grasp? Thus, in this verse, Allah Almighty has warned the disbelievers of Makkah of their fate in the light of historical evidence.
[3]
The Meaning of ﴿حزب﴾:
﴿احزاب﴾ is the plural of ﴿حزب﴾, and by it are meant such groups, factions, or parties in which there is harshness and severity. They are like-minded among themselves and their objective is to gain influence in power or to cling to it. It also refers to those previous nations upon whom Allah’s punishment descended because they denied the message of the messengers.
[4]
The Fate of the Nations Opposing the Prophets in the Light of Historical Evidence:
These disbelievers of Makkah cannot escape Allah’s grasp because many nations like them have passed before. For example, the people of Nuh, and after them the people of ‘Ad, the people of Thamud, the people of Ibrahim, the people of Lut, and the people of Pharaoh, etc. All these people used to worship idols instead of Allah and were deniers of the Day of Resurrection. Then, when Our messengers came to them, they did not suffice with merely denying them, but became intent on harming them. They began to threaten them with murder and stoning, and started plotting against them. In short, they used every tactic by which they could bring down Allah’s religion and crush the call of the prophets and their followers (and these very same activities were being carried out by the disbelievers of Makkah). Then, when My punishment descended upon them, see what became of them. Is there any trace or sign of those nations? Do they appear to be roaming about anywhere today? And these polytheists of Makkah have also started treading the same path, so how can they escape My grasp? Thus, in this verse, Allah Almighty has warned the disbelievers of Makkah of their fate in the light of historical evidence.
